Music and Drama
by Kitty Cavallone
Summary: Mikan was just a fan of music and Fading Doubt, the hottest rock band of the generation. And then suddenly, they went to her school for a gig. So yeah, she'll meet the members, but that doesn't mean it will be their last meeting.
1. Something New

* * *

**Music and Drama**

by Xythri

* * *

Sakura Mikan had just recently been transferred to Alice Academy, the most prestigious and exclusive school for girls in the whole country. She hasn't made any close friends, since most girls think so highly of themselves, and Mikan is not like any of them. She was just a simple person. She wasn't an outcast or anything, but people don't notice her at all. The other girls have designer clothes, branded shoes and bags, and the latest gadgets—of course, nobody would notice her with all those worthy distractions. Sure, she can afford maybe more than the others could, but she preferred to be left out and enjoy peace.

"Miss Mikan," Mikan heard a girl's voice. "It's time for you to wake up."

"Two minutes…" The brunette mumbled against her pillow.

"But Miss, you already overslept for twenty minutes. If you don't get up soon, the school gates will close on you."

Mikan's eyes abruptly opened, and in half a second, she was in the bathroom (if ever that's possible :D). After she got out, completely dressed and fixed, she gave her maid a big hug.

"Thank you, Misa, for waking me up," she said. "Again."

"No problem, Miss Mikan." The blonde maid returned the hug.

"Gotta go, bye!" Mikan picked her bag up and dashed out of the room.

Misa remained inside the room. She smiled after her mistress left. All the maids loved serving Mikan. She had a kind and generous personality. They also find it really cute and funny that she's quite clumsy. They loved her very much like their own family, as it's how Mikan treat them.

Back to Mikan, She hopped in on her black convertible. "Good morning, Raito!" She greeted the driver.

"Good morning to you too, Miss Mikan." Raito greeted back with a smile.

Mikan giggled. She looked out her window, and then she sighed. _Another boring day, _she thought. She pulled out her iPod and listened to her favorite music. She loves music that she learned how to play some instruments, one every month. She only learned to play the basics on the violin, cello, and flute. She started piano from when she was three years old until she reached junior high. She quit her lessons then self-studied the guitar.

Her genre for music revolved around classical and rock. She wanted to form a band, but knowing her social status now, that dream would merely remain a dream. And it's also quite doubtful that Alices like rock music as much as Mikan does.

"This is your stop, Miss." Raito said as he pulled up by the front gates of the academy.

"Thanks." Mikan opened the door.

"What time shall I pick you up?"

"Umm. Around 5:30."

"Okay."

Mikan arrived at school five minutes before the gate closes, thanks to Raito and his maniac driving. Once inside, she saw a lot of students surrounding the bulletin board. They seemed to be squealing in excitement. Mikan decided to ignore them and went straight to her first class.

Classes went on and on for what seemed like ages, and at last, lunch time came. Mikan, being the curious person she was, went to see the bulletin board that the girls were making a fuss about. It said:

_**Fading Doubt**_** at Alice?! Girls, the current HOTTEST rock band is paying a visit HERE! At the Performance Hall from 8pm to midnight on Friday, find out what surprises they have for you!**

Below was a picture of five boys sitting on a couch. On the left side was Andou Tsubasa, the bassist of the band, followed by Nogi Ruka, the lead guitarist. In the middle, vocalist Hyuuga Natsume looked as glorious as ever. Drummer Yome Kokoro was next beside him, and on the far right was Tobita Yuu. He plays the rhythm. They were all good-looking, but it's either Natsume or Ruka who stood out best.

Mikan grinned. Widely.

**Mikan Sakura**

Wow. Just wow. Fading Doubt? I'm a huge fan. I haven't been to any of their concerts before because, well, being so popular, they do most of them abroad. I used to be so frustrated. And now, I just found out that they're coming to my school.

But everything's so sudden. It's Wednesday, and the event is already this coming Friday. Hii-sama really loves surprises.

Two girls walked by and they were gossiping. Loudly. They were talking about Fading Doubt.

"I was passing by the headmistress' office and guess what I overheard?" Gossip girl #1 said. Rather, squealed.

"What? What is it?" Gossip girl #2 asked curiously.

"Fading Doubt is coming here tomorrow!"

"But it's only Thursday tomorrow. Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"I heard Hii-sama talking to the manager of FD and I heard him say that the band's coming here to _see_ _the_ _Hall_…"

…

"Kyaa~!" They both squealed.

I snorted. _Overheard, _huh? I think she used the wrong word. _Eavesdropped _is the right one. From what I've known, nobody's allowed near Hii-sama's office if there isn't any important business. Well, except for me. She and my mother are good friends, and she also treats me like her own daughter. Thanks to Hii-sama, my mother is now a world-renowned pianist. She supported her all the way.

* * *

The rumor about Fading Doubt coming spread to the whole school instantly. The girls have been talking about it non-stop, and it's really getting on my nerves.

I have to admit, the band is the slightest bit pitiful. Girls in Alice—well, most of them—aren't into their music. They work hard to make music, but it's their faces that are noticed more. But they still have me who loves their music better than their looks. *smiles*

Ah. I can't wait for tomorrow. I want to see them in person for the first time ever… even if it's from afar. I can already imagine the scenario— smokin' hot boys coming out from a Limo, deadly girls piling up around them, outstanding pitchy voices screaming "I love you!", and things yet to come. Maybe I'd just climb up a tree and watch them from up there. Yeah, that's right. There'd be no pushy girls up there and in case a stampede might start, I wouldn't die that easily.

_Where is Raito? _I asked internally. He said he'd be here at 5:30 and it's already 6. I leaned on the large wall beside the school gates, watching the road if ever a familiar convertible will come to sight.

A few minutes later, it finally arrived. I ran to it and opened the backdoor. I closed the door, still not looking at the driver.

"You're late." I said.

"I'm sorry, honey. I lost track of the time." Wait. That's not Raito's voice. It's a female's voice. A very familiar one. I briskly jerked my head up.

"Mom? _Mom!_" I hugged her from the back.

"I miss you too, sweetheart, but we're going to crash if you don't stop hugging me now." She laughed.

"Sorry." I sat back to my seat. "Where's Raito?"

"I sent him on a 2-week vacation. And also all the other maids."

"Why?" I asked.

"I want to spend some alone time with my baby." She smiled as she looked me through the rearview mirror.

"Oh. Wait a sec. You mean…"

She chuckled. "Yes, Mikan. Azumi Yuka is taking a break from playing overseas for a while. A really, _really_ long while."

"Mom… I love you so much!"

"I know you do." She winked at me.

She turned the radio on my favorite station. One of Fading Doubt's old songs was playing.

_I swear we need to find some comfort in this run down place  
To bridge the gap of this conscious state that we live in  
And I'm short on time_

How come you try  
that brings us home  
to fit the shape of  
and I pray for  
What they tell you  
You to move on, move on  
but mostly what they show you

**_(A/N: Writing on the Walls by Underoath)_**

The song continued till the end. Mom caught me mouthing some lines. If I screamed, then Mom would definitely ban me from listening to FD. And I didn't know how to scream… yet.

"You know this song, Mikan?" She asked, while scowling at me. "It's not music in the ears."

"It's Fading Doubt's." I said curtly. "And I don't like that."

"Then why did you know some lines of that… noise?"

"That was one of their hit singles back then. It was played everywhere, so of course I would be able to know at least some lines."

I was expecting her to blabber more questions, but instead, she chuckled. "You are very much like your father."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You have sharp hearing and memory." She smiled. I smiled in return.

I noticed that we weren't on the road going home. "Where are we going?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Mikan, I want you to meet somebody. I met him while I was in LA. And then—"

"You fell in love?" I cut her off.

"Yes. How did you know?" She frowned at me.

"Your eyes are sparkling." I teased.

"You're not mad?" She asked. I shook my head. "Okay then. Do you know Narumi L. Anju? Lame question. I know you do."

"Yeah, I know him. He's the famous designer… Hold up. You mean, he's… Don't tell me he's… Okay, I give up."

"Yes, Mikan. It's him."

* * *

"Mom, are you sure this is the right restaurant?" I asked. "This place is deserted."

There were no other cars parked in the lot except for ours. The pavement was filled with lamp posts, but only two were lit. Shame. I think this restaurant called _Narcissus _looked elegant, if it were not for the lighting problems.

"This is the address he gave me." Mom said, her voice sounding a little unsure. "Let's go inside and find out."

She opened the door.

Everything was white—the walls, the curtains, the table cloths, and the waitresses' uniform. Bouquets of white roses were placed on every table, and petals were scattered on the floor. I looked around and noticed we were the only customers inside.

"Good evening," A lady greeted. She had long, blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. "I'll show you to your table."

"Thank you." Mom said.

The lady walked us to the table at the corner of this large room. Unlike the other square tables, this one had a bouquet of red and pink roses. There were three chairs. Mom sat on the middle one and I on the right side.

I scanned the whole place one last time. "Hey Mom, are you sure this isn't a date for JUST the two of you?"

She laughed. "Yes. He also said he wanted to meet you as soon as possible."

"Really? Why?" I looked at her.

"He told me he had made sketches of dresses, tops, and others already. What he needs now are your measurements." She grinned.

"Oh. My. _Word_?" My eyes widened as I took the words in.

"I know!" She laughed. "He's a really kind man, sweetheart. You'll love him." She said softly but sincerely.

I stared at her. It was clearly stated in her eyes that she was more than just happy. And that bliss is caused by only four letters, a small word: _love._ It changes a person entirely. And that I know is because of observance, not of experience.

"I'm sorry for arriving a little fashionably late." A voice said.

I looked up at him. He had wavy blonde hair that reached below his shoulders. His eyes were in a deep shade of purple. These characteristics could only belong to one person…

"Naru!" Mom stood from her seat and kissed the man on the cheeks.

"It's good to see you too, Yuka-chan." He smiled as he returned the kiss.

She giggled. "This is my daughter."

I stood from my seat. "I'm Mikan. It's a pleasure to meet you." I held out a hand.

He took my hand then kissed it. "Can I take your measurements?"

Huh.

I sweatdropped. "Umm. Sure?"

"Yay!" He exclaimed like a kid. I imagined him having sparkly things in his background.

* * *

We all chatted as we ate dinner. We talked about many things about ourselves. Though we've only known each other for a few hours, I already liked Naru-chan (he said he wanted me to call him that). Mom was right. His personality is not hard to love. And he makes her happy. That's all that matters to me, anyway.

"Would you like your dessert to be served now?" The lady in the ponytail asked.

"Why are you so formal, Rina-chan?" Naru-chan asked her playfully.

She hit his head with the steel tray. "I'm doing my job, idiot." She said through gritted teeth.

"Ow." He rubbed the spot where she hit him. And then he recovered right away and turned his attention back to us. "By the way, this is my cousin. She owns this restaurant."

The lady smiled sweetly. "My name's Yamada Serina. Since we'll soon be family, you can call me Serina." Her words were directed at me.

"I didn't know you were planning to start a restaurant, Rina." Mom said. So they knew each other, huh.

"Because I wasn't planning on starting one. You see, I met this wonderful cook a few months ago. Everything she made was great. So I invested on this restaurant and offered her the position as chef. You three are the first customers, by the way."

"The food served is indeed delicious." Mom complimented. "Who is this chef?"

"Thank you. Her name is Umenomiya Karin."

As they continued to chat about the chef, I noticed Naru-chan looking at me. When I looked at him, he smiled.

"Mikan-chan," he whispered. "Let me show you something. Come on; let's leave them alone for a while."

"Where are we going?" I asked, also whispering.

"Just come." He got up from his seat and walked to the corner of the room.

I also got up from my seat and followed him. Wow, the ladies didn't even notice our departure.

In the corner of the room was a white grand piano. Naru-chan sat on one side of the bench. He gestured for me to sit next to him.

"Yuka had told me that you also play this." He said softly. "Would you like to play a song for me?"

I grinned. "Sure."

I thought of something to play. When I finally thought of it, I played the first measure in piano. Then the next, mezzo-piano. When I reached the climax of the peace, it went forte. And then the last part became soft again. The song faded, and the last note was still ringing in the air. **(A/N: River Flows in You by Yiruma)**

My eyes were closed as I played the piece. When I opened them, I found Mom and Serina-san standing near the piano.

"I thought you quit playing after junior high?" Mom raised an eyebrow.

"I just quit the lessons." I said.

"That was a moving piece." I saw tears fall down her cheeks. "What song is it?"

"It's called _A River Flows in You_. It's an original." I smiled.

"My, you _are _Yuka-chan's daughter." Naru-chan said. Instead of sparkly things, there were colorful flowers in his background.

"Mikan," Mom called. "Why didn't you tell me you were composing? Were you shy?"

I chuckled. "You were always overseas. And I'm not shy about anything."

"Okay, then. Now that I'm staying, I want to hear everything."

* * *

"Careful on your way home, Yuka, Mikan." Serina-san waved goodbye.

Naru-chan hugged Mom and I at the same time. "See you two both next time!" He opened the door for the both of us.

"So?" Mom asked.

"So what?" I asked in return.

"What do you think of him?"

I beamed. "He's very nice. I like him already."

"Told you so." She grinned.

"_Nooooo!" _A voice cried. It sounded like Naru-chan. Mom laughed.

"What's wrong? Is that Naru-chan?" I asked.

"He forgot to take your measurements." She said in between laughs. "He was looking forward to finish the clothes as soon as possible."

I joined her laugh. "I forgot about that, too."

After a few minutes, we arrived home. There was a truck and some mover guys were taking a record studio out. Wait. That didn't sound right. But they were taking out drum parts, amplifiers, microphone stands, and some others I didn't know what anymore.

"Who's moving in?" I asked.

Mom smiled. "I don't know. Want to check them out?" The way she smiled seemed like she was enjoying some private joke.

"Maybe next time." I said. I looked at her with wary eyes.

She got out of the car. "Come on. It's almost eleven. You still have school tomorrow and I know you're hard to wake."

"Yeah, yeah." I followed her out.

**Me (third person)**

He was walking down the hallway, and at the exact moment he looked out the window, he spotted a girl with long, brown hair get out from a black convertible. He watched as she ran and caught up with another female till she disappeared through the large doors.

"Tch. How bothersome." He grimaced.

"What's bothersome, Natsume?" His blonde friend suddenly appeared beside him.

"Nothing," Natsume said grimly. "Just a teenage female as a neighbor."

Ruka chuckled. "Is she hot?" he teased.

"Shut up, Ruka."

"Yes, yes. Anyway, the manager called and said we are going to drop by Alice Academy tomorrow."

"What for?" Natsume asked, irritated.

"Dunno." Ruka shrugged. "For a visit, I guess."

**Mikan Sakura**

"Good night, Mom." I kissed her on the cheek and waved goodnight before disappearing into my room.

I removed my uniform and lazily threw them in the hamper. I went inside the bathroom and took a nice, long shower. I breathed in the scent of my favorite watermelon-scented shampoo before rubbing it in my hair. I played with the bubbles in the tub while soaping my body. Bath time is so fun. I can't believe I hated baths when I was a little kid.

I rinsed my whole body till the soaps were completely gone. I grabbed the towel off the rack and dried myself. I wrapped it around my body, and then went out of the bathroom. I shivered. It was cold. I saw the door to my balcony open, and the night breeze is coming in my room. I hurried to my closet and rummaged it for warm but comfortable clothes to sleep in. I found my white, long-sleeved nightgown which I haven't worn in a while now, and decided to wear that. I picked it up and slid it over my head.

I went out to my balcony. I sat on the railing, concentrating on keeping my balance (sometimes I have coordination problems). I checked the time. 11:17pm. I should be fast asleep at this hour, but I wasn't sleepy yet. I sighed.

I went back to my room and shut the door behind me. I plopped myself on the bed and pulled the covers over me. And very soon, I found myself in my dreamland.

* * *


	2. A Package of Surprises

**Mikan Sakura**

I walked on the front yard of the school, all alone. There weren't many students yet. Yup. You heard me right. Today, I woke up early, which rarely happened to me. But this rare thing came at the right time. Later, this whole place will be filled.

I stopped in front of a large sakura tree and looked up at the branches. I spotted one branch that's sturdy enough to carry my weight. I looked at the time. 7:36am. 24 minutes till their arrival. I fixed my leggings as I positioned myself to climb the tree.

"Umm. Excuse me." A voice called from behind me.

I turned around and saw a girl with straight, midnight blue hair. "Hi. Can I help you?" I asked politely.

"I'm just new here," She smiled. "And you're the first I saw. Could we be friends, maybe?"

I beamed. "Of course! I'm Mikan. Sakura Mikan." I held out a hand.

"Ogasawara Nonoko." She shook hands with me. "What were doing a while ago on that tree?"

"Saving myself from a possible stampede." I replied too quickly. "I mean, climbing up."

"You're funny," she giggled. "But why is there going to be a stampede?"

"Oh right, today's your first day. You know the band Fading Doubt? The band members are coming here today. Alice fan girls get deadly when it comes to hot guys. And tomorrow, they're going to have a mini concert in the Performance Hall here in Alice Academy."

Nonoko gaped. "_Shut up!_ Oops. Sorry, I didn't mean to say that." she smiled apologetically. "Oh my gosh. I came here on time! I really love the band, you know. Don't you?"

"Oh, I do, too. I'm just protecting myself from the girls. And I'm contented to just see them in person, even if it's from afar."

"Ah. I-"

"Kyaa~!" Her voice was cut off by lots of squeals. What the... Since when did ALL the girls arrive?

Crap. I forgot about the tree-climbing. Oh well, at least their far away from us.

A black limousine stopped at the very front of the school gates. A man in suit and shades opened the back door of the long thing. Tsubasa came out first, and then Koko. Yuu came next, followed by Ruka, and then, of course, Natsume was the last but not the least.

The screams of the girls were louder (if possible) after the five boys got out. I stood on my toes to get a better view of the boys. Triple crap. They looked _impossibly_ better in person.

"What's happening?" I heard Nonoko ask. I tore my gaze at the guys and looked at her. She was looking at something behind the boys.

I directed my gaze to where she was looking. Some girls were falling down in a pile, creating a path. Two Amanatsu's were punching the girls that came close to the boys. Consecutive flashes were seen below the boys. They looked at the one taking pictures with confused expressions plastered on their faces… Huh. Amanatsu's? Camera flashes?

The photographer stood up, wiping the sweat on her forehead. And then I found myself running toward her.

"Hotaru!" More girls fell down as I shoved them out of my way. Before I could make my jump, the headmistress' voice was heard through the speakers.

"Girls, please give way to the boys. They're busy people, and I don't want to ruin their schedule because of you." She said in a voice that will make the hairs on the back stand. "You know what will happen if you disobey my orders… _right?_"

The girls immediately gave way to the five boys, except for me, Hotaru, and the Amanatsu's. They ignored us as they proceeded to go inside the building. Of course, like all the other girls, I stared at them in awe for their gracefulness. After they got out of the sight, majority of the girls whined.

I suddenly remembered. "Hotaru!" I called again. And this time, nothing stopped me from hugging her.

**BAM.**

Something big and round hit my head. "Ow."

"Here." She said in her usual emotionless tone. I looked at the thing she used to hit me. "Watermelon. It's your favorite."

"Thank—" I paused. My eyes zeroed in on Hotaru's clothes. "Hey! Why didn't you tell me you were going to study here?"

She just shrugged. I let it slip off, since I was happy that my best friend is going to the same school as mine.

"Oh yeah!" I dragged her hand and pulled her toward the tree where Nonoko and I stood under. I saw her talking to my classmate Anna. Nonoko noticed me nearing her.

"Hey Mikan!" she said. "Why did you run off a while ago?"

"Sorry," I apologized. "I was just surprised to see Hotaru here. Oh yeah! Nonoko, this is Hotaru, my best friend. Hotaru, Nonoko, my new friend." I gestured my hands to both girls, introducing them to each other.

"Ogasawara Nonoko."

"Imai Hotaru."

"Oh, hi, Anna." I said to Anna.

"Hello, Mikan." She bashfully smiled at me. We weren't really close in class, after all.

"You and Nonoko know each other?" I asked.

"Yes. She's my cousin." She said.

I blinked. I looked at her. And then to Nonoko. "Oh. You both look—"

"—different." Hotaru finished for me.

They both giggled.

"People always say that," Nonoko said. "But we're used to it."

The school bell rang.

"Oh," I gasped. "I lost track of the time. Let's go."

I noticed that we were going in same direction. When we reached my classroom, they went in, too. Cool. We all are in the same class. I proceeded to my seat near the back corner of the room, beside the window.

Miss Sanjo, the English teacher, entered the classroom. Like always, her face was strict, and she was holding on to her infamous stick. She uses it to spank "naughty girls." That's why the students always behave in her class because whenever they get spanked, the area where the stick landed would have a red mark that would eventually become a wound then a scar. Yeah, we girls hate flaws on our flawless skins.

"Class, we have new students." She began. "Please introduce yourselves."

"Hello, my name is Ogasawara Nonoko. _Yoroshiku._" Then Nonoko bowed.

"Imai Hotaru." Hotaru just stood stoically.

After the short introduction, Hotaru and Nonoko went to the two vacant seats behind me. As they passed me, I smiled at them and they smiled back. Miss Sanjo started the class after.

As the classes went on, there were surprisingly no homeworks given to us. I guessed the higher ups were making our weekend more fabulous, in addition to Fading Doubt's gig.

It was lunch time again, and this time, I didn't eat alone anymore. Hotaru was done eating and was now reviewing the pictures she took a while ago.

"It's really mind-boggling that Hotaru never gets fat." Anna mused. "You're so slim, Hotaru."

"High metabolism." She said, never taking her eyes off the camera. "Man, can't these guys wear proper smiles in public? Especially Hyuuga. He didn't smile at all. These pictures won't sell good…"

"What is she doing, Mikan?" Nonoko whispered.

"Uhh, let's see." I murmured, trying to think of a good explanation. Hotaru's situation is kind of weird. "Ooh! Hotaru likes money very much."

"Baka." Hotaru said. "That didn't explain what I'm doing. I have to be strategic to earn lots, so I'm taking pictures of those guys. And then I'll sell them for huge amounts. I know that their fan girls are vulnerable and desperate that they wouldn't care about the price."

"But what are you going to do with the money?" Nonoko asked.

"Keep them."

Nonoko sweatdropped. "Oh." She decided to drop it, maybe because she already got the idea.

**Me**

After lunch, the girls went to their next class: music. When they got to the classroom, everyone was still chattering. The teacher wasn't inside yet. Mikan thought it was odd, because Miss Minami would always be in before her students come.

"Where's Miss Minami?" Anna asked. She was also thinking the same.

The door suddenly slammed open, and the girls automatically sat on their seats. A moment later, the room was filled with ahh's and wow's. The dark-haired teacher entered the room _along with_ the country's most famous boys.

"Silence!" She ordered. The class immediately shut their mouths, though the goofy smiles never left their faces. Well, except for Hotaru because that's just how she is, and Mikan because her mouth was in a large O.

"Please take your seats." The teacher said sweetly to the boys. They silently proceeded to the empty seats beside the piano.

Miss Minami faced the class again. "Before I start, would the new students please stand up and introduce yourselves."

Sighing, Nonoko stood up. She's been saying her name in the past few periods, and she was getting tired of it already.

"Ogasawara Nonoko, Ma'am." She smiled faintly then sat back to her seat.

Hotaru stood up shortly after. "Imai Hotaru."

"Okay," The teacher started. "The rules in my class…"

She continued on blabbering about the rules that didn't make any sense at all.

The class started and the girls found it hard to listen to her because they were way too distracted. And the five boys were forced to listen to the teacher's lecture about singing.

Meanwhile, Mikan was confused. Not because she didn't understand the lesson, but because they skipped so many topics that they haven't tackled yet.

The teacher had been talking blabla _forever. _One student said that music class was already ten minutes over time, but Miss Minami said that the PE teacher Ayuzawa was absent. So that gives the girls--and boys--another fifty minutes pretending to listen to the teacher.

"…I hope you remember everything we've discussed." The girls took those words as the closing speech. "And you girls are lucky that today is your music class." She looked at the boys, giving them some kind of a go signal.

Natsume and Ruka stood from their chairs, both grabbing the two acoustic guitars displayed by the corner of the room. Koko stretched and picked up a tambourine that was placed on top of the piano. The girls saw and realized what they were doing, so the room was noisy yet again.

"Class," Miss Minami yelled again. The room quieted. "That's better. You may start now."

"Hello," Ruka greeted. "We're here now 'cause we kinda volunteered to play one song in the music classes." He put on the strap of the guitar.

"And this is the only one with the music class today," Koko said. "So you girlies are very lucky 'cause you will hear an acoustic from us, which we've never done in public before."

Natsume positioned himself as he sat on the stool. "This song is called _Again._" **(A/N: Again by Faber Drive. The second voice is Ruka)**

The intro started and everyone fell quiet. Natsume and Ruka strummed in sync and Koko struck the tambourine on his hand lightly.

_Underneath my skin, is it just anger, just frustration?  
__Underneath my skin, is it decisions or these feelings?  
__It always hurt my mind (it always hurt my mind)  
__It always killed my pride inside  
__It always wastes my time  
__Again, again_

_Again I bleed, again I shake  
__Again I fall, again I break  
__Wasted, hated  
__Again, again_

_Underneath my skin, is it just anger, just frustration?  
__Underneath my skin, is it just nothing or these feelings?  
_'_cause all I find just fades (all I find just fades)  
__No, I don't feel what I felt before  
__I'm back inside this cage  
__Again, again_

_Again I bleed, again I shake  
__Again I fall, again I break  
__Wasted, hated  
__Again, again_

_Again I burn to take it all  
__But inside my head I hate the world  
__Because I, I don't know (I don't know)  
__I let go  
__Again, again_

_Underneath my skin, is it just anger, just frustration?  
__Underneath my skin, is it just nothing or these feelings?  
_'_cause all I find just fades  
__Again, again_

_Again I bleed, again I shake  
__Again I fall, again I break  
__Wasted, hated  
__Again, again_

_Again I burn to take it all  
__But inside my head I hate the world  
__Because I, I don't know (I don't know)  
__I let go  
__Again, again_

_Again, again  
__Again, again_

Everyone clapped very loudly.

**Mikan Sakura**

They were so amazing. I was used to hearing their hardcore music, and I never imagined that Natsume would still sound good without the headbanging beat. Speaking of which, Natsume's voice didn't change at all, even though he was screaming in his early days of performing. Screaming + good singing voice = not a good match. But he made it possible.

"Thank you." It was Natsume's habit to thank after every performance, I noticed.

The teacher dismissed us. It was pure riot again. Hotaru, Nonoko, Anna, and I remained in the classroom until it was empty. When it was almost quieting down, Hotaru mumbled, "Stupid fan girls."

That had me thinking.

"Hey Hotaru," I said glumly. "Am I a stupid fan girl, too? I really really _really _love the band. I look up to them, especially Natsume. He's just plain amazing and cool and… and… and I want to learn how to scream."

Hotaru sighed. "I was convinced already… till the last part. And to answer your question, you are a stupid fan girl. A real one, that is."

"What do you mean?"

"These _fan girls _you call are just frantic fools having the hots for those hot guys. Those aren't considered as _fans. _Tell me I'm wrong."

I giggled. "You're never wrong, Hotaru."

"I'm glad you know." She smiled.

-

"Won't Subaru get worried that you would sleep over here tonight?" Mom asked Hotaru while setting the table.

"I phoned him already." Hotaru said. "And Mikan's invitation was on time because I don't want to do the unpacking."

Mom laughed. "You've never changed at all, Hotaru."

"Nothing can ever change me."

Mom served the food: Her special recipe for roasted chicken and miso soup. It was very simple, but it was better than the food in fancy restaurants. Of course, _Narcissus_ was an exception. Their food is really worth the money. After we ate dinner, when I was cleaning up and Hotaru went upstairs for who-knows-why, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Mom said.

A few minutes later, she came in with another person.

"Good evening, Mikan-chan!" Naru-chan greeted. I carefully placed the dishes by the sink and ran to him.

"Naru-chan!" I exclaimed as I gave him one big hug.

"Guess what. I brought a tape measure…" He grinned widely, the flowers reappearing behind him. I sweatdropped. "And dessert!"

I took the box he was holding and placed it on the table.

"What is it?" I asked.

Before he could answer, Hotaru came in the room, camera in hand ready for action. A millisecond later, a photography session started in the dining hall.

"Who are _you,_ ivory-skinned beauty?" Naru-chan asked as he posed different poses.

"Imai Hotaru." Hotaru said unconsciously, focused on taking pictures of the famous man.

"She's my best friend!" I chirped.

A minute later, Hotaru got tired and kept her camera. She walked to the table and opened the box.

"Yum, parfait!" I said as I grabbed one. Hotaru grabbed two.

Naru-chan and Mom joined us. "Karin's daughter made that. She got her mother's skills." He said.

I suddenly remembered something. I heard last night when Mom and Serina-san was talking that the chef's last name was Umenomiya. Anna's last name is Umenomiya…

"Anna did this?" I said, staring at the delicious treat in awe. "She's a prodigy!"

"Is this Anna a classmate of yours, Mikan?" Mom asked.

"Yeah. And Hotaru's too."

"That's good, then. I hope you're in good terms with her."

"Of course we are!" I beamed.

-

So finally, Naru-chan got my measurements, yay that. He also measured Hotaru because he thought beautiful girls deserve creations from him… He's a naru, all right.

Hotaru and I sat on the railing, side by side, facing the door. I played with a softball and threw it on the wall above my door. And then I caught it after it hit the wall. Throw. Catch. Throw. Catch. Throw. Nothing.

"Hey! I was playing with that." I whined like a child. Hotaru caught it before I did.

She ignored me. "Tell me something, baka."

"What is it?"

"What have you been doing while I wasn't around?"

"Huh? Well, nothing much. I only made a few close friends at school. And for the past year, I indulged myself in writing and composing."

Hotaru raised an eyebrow. "A baka can write?" If I wasn't her best friend, I'd be really perplexed if she was joking or not, what with her poker face.

"Meanie." I pouted.

"I want to hear everything." She said.

"You said the exact same words Mom said." I giggled.

I played with the ball again. Throw. Catch. Throw. Missed.

"Crap!" I followed the ball with my eyes. I turned around and saw that it was heading to the balcony of the neighbor.

Long, slender fingers caught the ball. I looked at the owner of the hand. Soon, I found myself staring deeply at two crimson orbs.

"Where did that camera go?" I heard Hotaru say.


	3. Beauty From Pain

The moment Mikan opened her eyes, she, right away, ran to where Yuka was. She found her in the kitchen, placing pancakes on three plates. Yuka acknowledged Mikan's presence.

"Good morning, Mikan." She smiled sweetly. "You're early. I thought you have no classes today."

Mikan—half-playful, half-serious—glared at Yuka.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"Tell you what, honey?" Yuka asked, still grinning.

"Oh, I know you know very well what I'm talking about." Mikan remembered the other night when she asked about the mover guys. "You didn't tell me that Natsume's lives just next door!"

"I just thought that it will be better if you found about it yourself. Oh, and it's not only Natsume, but the whole band, too. Aren't you glad?"

Mikan gaped. "Oh my _goodness?_ Why do you know that?"

Yuka grinned. "I'm good friends with their manager, Masachika Shiki. We were pretty close when I was in high school. And then a few months ago, we bumped into each other. We chatted for a while and then he asked me of some classy houses where his boys could move in to. And I first thought about the vacant house next door."

"Why didn't I know that?"

"Silly girl. It's not like I have time to tell you. I was always busy." Yuka chuckled.

**Mikan Sakura**

_Life's not so unfair, after all…_

Creak. The door creaked. Hotaru came in, camera in her hands.

"Good morning, Hotaru!" I greeted.

"Good morning, Mikan, Yuka-san." She greeted back. She sat down beside me.

Mom handed us the pancakes. "What's your agenda for today?"

I frowned. "Oh. I haven't thought about that yet."

Mom grinned. "I knew you'd say that. Well, since the concert's not until eight, why don't you show Hotaru around, first? Many have changed here since she left for England. Right, Hotaru?"

"Yes," Hotaru said, scanning the photos she took last night. She's done with her pancakes already? I haven't even started mine yet.

"So, there you have it! Show her around the neighborhood, and then you can hang out in the mall after."

I stared at her dubiously. "You made plans with Naru-chan already, haven't you?"

Bull's eye. I know that smile.

She sighed. "For the whole day, actually. I just don't want to leave you with nothing to do."

"It's okay. Go have fun." I smiled in encouragement. "Besides, I have so many to tell Hotaru that a whole day is not enough, and I can always call my friends."

"Okay, I'll take care of the dishes, and you go start your day early."

.-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.**

"Ahh. It's so nice outside in the morning." I inhaled the morning air as Hotaru and I went out.

"Yeah. Till your annoying voice is heard."

I pouted. "Don't be like that, Hotaru."

Snap. She took a picture of me pouting.

"Hey! Delete that, I wasn't ready." I tried grabbing the camera from her.

"Who said I needed you to be ready?" She creatively dodged my assaults. I gave up, anyway. I never won even just once when Hotaru's the opponent. I'd just waste my sweat in trying.

"So, what's so great about this village?" She asked me.

"I don't know." I said. "But there are many great people around here."

"Really? Then who lives there?" Hotaru pointed to the other neighbor.

I giggled. "That's Nodacchi's house."

"Weird name."

"It's my nickname for him, actually. His name is Noda. He loves collecting clocks and watches, and he takes care of them like how a mother takes care of her children."

"Weird." She muttered. She took her camera out again and took a picture of Nodacchi's house.

"Why are you taking a picture of his house?"

"It's beautiful. It looks timeless."

"Oh…" That seemed like a proper response. Yeah, proper when you have no idea what that meant. To me, it's just a house. No special anything.

"What about that house?" She pointed to the one in front.

"That's—oh, she's coming out."

"Who's she?"

"Come on, I'll introduce you to her." I dragged Hotaru's hand. "Hey Permy!"

Like usual, she looked at me as if I'm some kind of germ—trust me, it's friendly.

"Oh, it's Mikan." She said airily.

"I didn't see you in school yesterday."

"I was sick." Sumire said. She looked at Hotaru. "Hotaru, right?"

"Yes." Hotaru replied. "Mikan?"

"Mikan." Sumire repeated.

I cocked my head to the side. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing." They said.

"Nothing, then." I frowned. "Oh yeah, Permy! Yesterday, FD played an acoustic in my class!"

Sumire's eyes widened. We shared the same love for Fading Doubt. Even though that was the only thing we had in common, it was enough to form a bond between us.

"An acoustic? You can't be serious." she said, her voice practically a whisper.

"It was a new song. Oh, and Ruka, too. You know, for the second voice… Gah, it was so awesome! It's such a pity you were sick."

Sumire pinched my cheeks. "You're being stupid again, Mikan. Even if I wasn't absent, I still wouldn't be able to hear them because we aren't in the same section."

"She's always stupid, mind you." Hotaru said.

"But knowing you, you would do _anything _just to be in the same room as them." I reasoned.

"Point," Sumire sighed. "Ugh! You're no fair. Ever."

**Me**

The girls went to a lot of places—the mall, a museum for weird stuff, _The Glove_ fast food for lunch, an amusement park, another mall… Now, they're chilling and taking a rest in a café called _Koffee and Kace_ inside the mall.

"This shirt is so cute." Sumire ogled over the black band t-shirt she got from the first mall. It had Natsume's face on it. One big DUH. "I was so lucky to have the last one."

Mikan sipped from her cup of hot chocolate. "You don't like tees, Permy. You _love _Natsume's face."

"The burger at The Glove's was cute." Hotaru said. "It was shaped like a glove."

"Ooh, did you guys taste the weird pizza at the museum?" Mikan asked, her eyes filled with curiosity. "It kinda tasted like peanut butter."

Sumire stared at Mikan disbelievingly. "Mikan, it _was _peanut butter—well, the crust was. Didn't you read the big sign thingy beside the stall?"

"I was looking at the pizza." Mikan pouted. "And peanut butter? Weird."

Hotaru rolled her eyes at Mikan. "That's what the museum's built for, baka."

Random thoughts suddenly filled Mikan's mind. She was too tired and bored to do anything anymore. She was thinking about how the pizza tasted, what Yuka and Narumi are doing for the day, Natsume on the balcony of her neighbor…

…

"I'm so _stupid!_" Mikan exclaimed as she laughed out loud. "How could I have forgotten?"

"Took you too long to figure out." Hotaru rolled her eyes again.

Mikan ignored her. She turned to Sumire. "You'll never guess what this is!"

Sumire stared at Mikan, curious and at the same time irritated. "What now, Mikan?"

Mikan lowered her voice so that it won't be heard by others. The big news was kind of sensitive. "Natsume lives just next door to me—"

Three seconds. Three. Two. One…

Sumire's eyes widened. "What—"

"and oh my goodness, I can't believe I forgot to tell you this morning—"

"the—"

"but that's not all. My mom said that even Ruka and Tsubasa and Yuu and Koko are living with him, too. Can you believe it?"

"—fu—mmph!"

Sumire and Mikan looked at Hotaru, who shoved a huge slice of cake into Sumire's mouth. Sumire grabbed the first cup she saw and chugged all of its contents.

"What the heck, Hotaru?" She huffed angrily.

"I don't like swearing." Hotaru said simply.

"But I was gonna say _fudge!_" Sumire crossed her arms. Then her anger subsided right away and was replaced by disbelief. "Holy abs of Natsume… Mikan, are you sure this isn't some kind of joke?"

"Absolutely." Mikan grinned smugly. "I've seen him myself."

"But does that mean they're staying? I mean, why would they get a house?"

"If that's so, then it would be super awesome!" Mikan squealed the last word.

"Oh my gosh. What time is it?" Sumire asked.

Hotaru looked at her watch. "Almost five thirty."

"Time to go home!"

"Excited much?" Hotaru murmured.

.-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.**

The girls went to their own homes to prepare for the concert. It was only six thirty and Mikan was bored already. She was already dressed up. She didn't need lots of hours to fix herself, unlike Sumire–three hours weren't enough. Yuka was still out with Narumi.

Mikan opened the double doors of leading to her balcony. She let the chilly air come inside her room. She walked over to the mini grand piano at the corner of her room. She played some random keys at first then faded to a new melody.

.-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.**

He slid onto his black dress shirt, leaving the upper three buttons undone. He pulled on his red necktie over his head. It was seven already and he was running late for his next gig. Piano playing made him stop and forget about that for a while.

Then a girl started singing. Her sound was beautiful, both the voice and the piano. At first, the lyrics were too discouraging, but after he heard the refrain, the words became very positive, hopeful.

Beautiful. The one word that ran through his mind the moment he heard the song… and it was near impossible to make _the_ Natsume Hyuuga say the word beautiful, let alone think it.

.-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.** .-*-. **.-*-.**

**(A/N: Beauty From Pain by Superchic[k]… minus everything but the piano and vocals)**

_The lights go out all around me  
One last candle to keep out the night  
And then the darkness surrounds me  
I know I'm alive but I feel like I've died  
And all that's left is to accept that it's over  
My dreams ran like sand through the fists that I made  
I try to keep warm but I just grow colder  
I feel like I'm slipping away_

_After all this has passed, I still will remain  
After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain  
Though it won't be today,  
Someday I'll hope again  
And I'll be beauty from pain  
You will bring beauty from my pain_

_My whole world is the pain inside me  
The best I can do is just get through the day  
When life before is only a memory  
I wonder why God lets me walk through this place  
And though I can't understand why this happened  
I know that I will when I look back someday  
And see how you've brought beauty from ashes  
And made me as gold purified through these flames_

_After all this has passed, I still will remain  
After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain  
Though it won't be today,  
Someday I'll hope again  
And I'll be beauty from pain  
You will bring beauty from my pain Here I am, at the end of me  
Trying to hold to what I can't see  
I forgot how to hope  
This night's been so long  
I cling to your promise  
There will be a dawn _

_After all this has passed, I still will remain  
After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain  
Though it won't be today  
Someday I'll hope again  
And I'll be beauty from pain  
You will bring beauty from my pain_

_

* * *

_**I know. I'm a bad person... I am so sorry for updating this just now. How long has it been, two months? Three? It doesn't matter, it's still looong! This time, I'll really be updating quickly.**

**There are a lot of reasons why I kinda stopped writing this for a while. Sorry about that.**

**And yeah, I know this chapter sucks... but the next one will be better, I assure you. It's the concert!!!**

**love,  
Xythri**


	4. Bigger Day

"Natsume," Ruka called, breaking Natsume's trance. "We're leaving!"

Natsume tore his gaze from his neighbor's open door and followed Ruka out.

"You ready for later?" asked Ruka casually.

Natsume rolled his eyes. "You think I'm not used to this yet?"

Ruka laughed.

* * *

_Ring, ring._

Mikan's phone rang. She flipped it open and checked the number. It wasn't registered in her phone.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"_It's me._"

"Hotaru! Hey. What's up?"

"_First of all, this is going to be my permanent number from now on. And I can't meet you later. I'll just see you at school_."

"Aww, too bad. I guess I'll see you later, then."

"_Yeah, later. Bye. I'll wait for you by the gates._"

"Okay. Bye."

Mikan stood from the bench and walked to the ornate full-length mirror near the piano. She wore a spaghetti-strapped brown dress that fell above her knees. It was a cold night so she topped the outfit with a white bolero jacket. She picked up the pair of wedge heels she'd placed beside the piano's legs when she played. She slipped her feet in and fixed the straps. With one last look in the mirror, she grabbed her purse from her bed and strode out of the room.

She was going to call Misa for Raito, but then she remembered they were on vacation. She could always use the car, but she was too clumsy to even stir the wheel properly. _Something tells me I'm going there by foot. Oh, well, it's not that far of a walk. I guess._

**._-*-_.``** ._-*-_.`` **._-*-_.``** ._-*-_.`` **._-*-_.**

As Mikan was walking, she saw an angry Misaki Harada stomp her way out of the Miyazono residence. She slung her guitar case on her shoulders and went the other direction, not noticing Mikan's hand waves.

"Misaki-senpai!" Mikan ran to her.

Misaki turned around and smiled, though there was still the hint of irritation. "Hey, Mikan. Whoa. Your dress, woman! Going to par-_tay_ or something?"

Mikan gaped. "How could you forget? The show's tonight!"

She slapped her forehead. "Dang! That's right. There's just a lot on my mind right now."

"What happened?" Mikan asked suddenly. "You're upset about something. Did Yuri-senpai do something?"

"Yes." She nodded, scowling at the memory. "And her son of a witch of a cousin, too."

"Hayate-senpai? What happened, really?"

"Air-ganger Pheromone is going to be Air Pheromone only now." She frowned at the thought.

Mikan's eyes widened as she realized what that meant. The weird name of the trio came from their dream powers when they were young: Air manipulation for Hayate; doppelganger for Misaki; and female pheromone for Yuri (pretty weird for a girl). She'd always thought that the trio would be successful in their future careers, and now she just found out that they were leaving one out of the group. "They removed you from the band?"

Misaki shrugged. "I'm left out because I'm not in any way related to either of them. They said it's better if it's just the two of them.

"They do music for shame–I mean, fame." That made Mikan laugh. "No, really. That's so shameful. If they want fame or money, they could've just gone for acting. At least when they're actors, they can fake out all they want. I don't give a crap. But this is music. Musicians play not for they're own pleasure alone, but also for the listeners. If you're going to ask, I'm not angry at them. Just… disappointed."

"You know what I think?" Mikan smiled. "Maybe fate, you know, has something else for you that's why you got removed from the band. Attention-seekers don't deserve your awesomeness."

_Mikan says the simplest but best things. She's so easy to love._

Misaki went home to drop her guitar and have a quick change of clothes. She changed into a faded skinny jeans and a white blouse. She grabbed a pink trench coat and joined Mikan downstairs.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

It still wasn't eight, but the auditorium was already more than full. Duh. The boys were backstage, ready to run to the front and rock the whole night. They could hear the girls' screams as though they were just in front of them. One of the crew signaled them 'Go!' then the four boys ran to the stage and began with the intro.

Natsume pulled out a golden earpiece from his pocket and put it in his left ear, just above his signature red earring. He took a deep breath as he waited for his cue. Releasing it, he ran forward and took the microphone in his hands. The screaming went forte but quieted down slowly as he started singing.

**(A/N: Now I'm Alive by Decyfer Down. Oliver's version)**

_Feeling so cold  
__Never thought I could live like this  
__Crawling alone, always feels like I'm dead inside  
__  
Take me away from myself  
__Waking, now I'm alive_

_Caught in the fallout  
__I know there's a way out  
__It's new to me just like a dream  
__Now I'm alive  
__Now I can stand out  
__Not lost in the crowd  
__I finally see what I can be  
__Now I'm alive_

Every girl was jumping as soon as the music started, making it hard for the others to see. But not for Mikan and her friends. They had the best spot at the front row seats which was at the very front of Natsume. Hotaru knew why.

Mikan watched the vocalist in awe, admiring every bit of him as he sang. She didn't move much, just little foot-tapping and some soft head-banging, unlike the girls behind her, who were practically ready to jump and assault the boys.

_Locked up inside for so long now  
__I'll find a way to get out  
__And live for another and not myself  
__Waking, now I'm alive_

_Caught in the fallout  
__I know there's a way out  
__It's new to me just like a dream  
__Now I'm alive  
__Now I can stand out  
__Not lost in the crowd  
__I finally see what I can be  
__Now I'm alive, ooh, yeah  
__Oh_

The tempo of the song slowed down. Mikan noticed Natsume look to their direction, first to Hotaru's camera, then right through her eyes. For a moment, everything around her seemed to grow silent as the pair of crimson irises held her gaze. Compared to the dull, bored look it had the day before, now it was burning with passion.

**(Ruka) **_I'm not afraid to fall down  
I'm not lost in the crowd  
I'm okay because I found out  
I'm waking up inside_

Mikan broke the contact as some girl accidentally pushed her forward.

Squeal. "He looked at me!"

Rolling her eyes, she looked back at Natsume only to find him back to his microphone stand.

_It's my turn now  
__You can't stop what I've become now  
__It's my turn now_

_Caught in the fallout  
__I know there's a way out  
__It's new to me just like a dream  
__Now I'm alive  
__Now I can stand out  
__Not lost in the crowd  
__I finally see what I can be  
__Now I'm alive_

Everyone danced–or head-banged–to the outro. The heat of the night was just getting started.

After singing a few of their older songs, which had a lot of screaming, Natsume's voice went husky. Most of the girls had to melt at that.

"You girls seem tired already." Natsume said, his breathing heavy. "Should we end this now?"

The girls screamed 'no'. Some groaned, some screeched, but above all that, some unidentified creature shouted from the back, "I'm single! Be mine, all of you!"

"Wow." Natsume chuckled. "What would you do if I do this?" Then he threw the bottle of water he was drinking at that creature.

"Kyaa! I'm going to throw my Buddha figurine away and replace it with this! Thank you, Natsume!"

The band and the fans laughed along with him. But the super crazy fans were raging with envy because, well, even in that manner, Natsume still talked to that creature. He even gave her something.

"I believe you all know about the surprise?" Natsume paused to hear the crowd cheer yes. "Yeah. Before that, here's a last song to end this night."

**(E For Extinction by Thousand Foot Krutch)**

_I'm not the same as yesterday, ooh  
__It's hard to explain how things have changed  
__But I'm not the same as before  
__And I know there's so much more ahead  
__I can barely believe that I'm here  
__And I won't surrender quietly  
__Step up and watch me_

_Break down, you really want it  
__Wanna make a scene? Show me what you mean  
__Let's get it started  
__Let me see what you got, can you take it up a notch?  
__Don't think you got it  
__Can't handle the pressure  
__Get off, stop talking about it  
__Gotta make this count, let's go_

_When we move, we camouflage ourselves  
__We stand in the shadows waiting  
__We live for this and nothing more  
__We are what you created_

The room was now dark as the lights were shut off. The cell phones the girls were waving in the air were just the ones lighting up the entire auditorium.

_I can feel the storm, the winds have changed, ooh  
_'_Cause we're worlds apart, but just the same  
__But we won't leave the way that we came  
__I know there's so much more ahead  
__I can barely believe that we're here  
__We won't surrender quietly  
__Step up and watch it_

_Break down, you really want it  
__Wanna make a scene? Show me what you mean  
__Let's get it started  
__Let me see what you got, can you take it up a notch?  
__Don't think you got it  
__Can't handle the pressure  
__Get off, stop talking about it  
__Gotta make this count, let's go_

_When we move, we camouflage ourselves  
__We stand in the shadows waiting  
__We live for this and nothing more  
__We are what you created_

_Are you ready? Are you ready?  
__Are you ready for me?  
__Are you ready? Are you ready?  
__Are you ready to see?_

Then all the spot lights beamed and pointed at random directions as Fading Doubt rocked the life out of the girls' heads. And feet. Singing the refrain three times, the band played the outro then was followed by a deafening round of applause and cheers from the audience.

Waiting for the cheers and whistles, which were pretty long, Ruka grabbed his microphone. "Whoo! That's gotta be one of our best live performances ever. That song's called _E for Extinction_." Then he winked.

"_Kyaa~__ !"_

"Well, are you ready to hear the big news?" He asked. He chuckled as the cheers went back. "Natsume?"

Natsume was back now, refreshed after a long drink of water. "So, as you all know… oh, wait, you don't know yet that _Fading Doubt's planning on staying in Japan for the rest of the fall tour._"

Again… you ought to know the drill by now. Yes, the screams.

"But," he continued, having the girls silenced. "that's not really the big news we're talking about here.

"There's going to be a contest in this academy. A singing contest. We–Fading Doubt–will be the ones to judge the winner. It doesn't matter whether it's a group thing or a solo. As long as you have the talent for it, go ahead. If you'll use your charm and that only, just go home. Auditions are on the 17th of October, a Saturday two weeks from now. For that, your faculty will be the ones to choose who'll make it to the contest, which is on the 31st. That's all you have to know and good night. It was a fun night, by the way. You girls rocked."

With a last smile, he bowed then exited the stage. The boys followed him right after, but Ruka took over Natsume's microphone with a huge grin plastered on his face. "Oh, yeah, please do well in that contest. 'Cause whoever wins will be featured on one or two of our music videos. Thanks again for the wonderful night." He ran after his band mates as if what he had just said was just a casual follow-up news.

Most of the girls were in hysterics. Blabbering about what songs they should sing for the contest and the like. Yeah, and because of that, they also forgot that they needed to get out of the crowded room and go home, much to Mikan's irritation.

"Look! Those girls are congesting the doorway!" Mikan pointed at the girls squealing right in the middle of the doorway. "Hotaru, do something. Where are your Amanatsu's?"

"What's an Amanatsu?" Misaki asked.

Then right on cue, an Amanatsu emerged from nowhere.

"This." Hotaru patted its shoulder.

"Wow. It looks just like Mikan. Only, it has screws."

"My Amanatsu is an exact replica of Mikan. It's as noisy as Mikan, as reckless, as clumsy, and as stupid. Make them solve a math problem together and they'll have the exact time to solve and finish it–never."

Misaki sweat-dropped. "Okay…?"

"There you guys are!" A voice came from over a girl's shoulder. It was Sumire. "Let's go through the windows!"

So they did. After greeting one another and introducing Misaki and Nonoko, they bolted for the windows. As they finally made it out, they (but Hotaru) all were laughing like silly drunks.

"Wow," Mikan said. "Still not coming out, eh? Someone has to remind those girls they still have a life to live."

"To hell with them!" Sumire exclaimed. "All I can think about is the contest. I'm excited!"

Misaki looked at her. "Me too. Oh. If anyone here's going to join, I'd love to play bass for you."

"Huh?" Sumire frowned. "What happened to your band?"

"I'm out of it. Don't ask."

"All right. Anyway, a bassist is no good without a drummer. I'm with senpai. Guitars, anyone?"

"I can play that." Mikan said. "And the keyboard."

"I play the guitar." Anna and Nonoko said at the same time. Hearing that, they both giggled… at the same time as well.

Hotaru wanted to hit them on the head one by one. This was a singing contest, not an instrumental. The instruments didn't matter without the voice. But then a sudden thought occurred to her.

_And for the past year, I indulged myself in writing and composing._

"That's it." Hotaru spoke up. "We're officially a band now."

"We have no vocals yet, Hotaru." Mikan said. Then she gasped. "No way! You'll do the vocals? Why didn't you tell me you sing?"

"Baka." Hotaru hit her with a toy hammer she got from nowhere. "_You _will sing."

Mikan shook her head. "No, no, and _no_."

"Any special reason why you don't want to?"

"Because… because!" She tried to think of a reasonable excuse, but nothing came up.

"We can't have too much instruments." Sumire reasoned, siding Hotaru. "And I heard you sing one time. You were good."

"Huh? And when was that?" Mikan asked, frowning.

"Dunno. Not long ago. You were in the toilet then." Sumire told it so seriously that Mikan believed it. "Kidding! In the music room. I was just walking by when I heard someone. I came to check it out and there you were."

Mikan sighed. She knew better than to contradict Hotaru. The ice queen would've won either way. And there was that tiny feeling inside her head that was pleased at the idea of her being vocalist of her own band. "All right, fine. I'll be vocalist. But what about you, Hotaru?"

Hotaru smirked. "What's the use of my machines? I'll be your music producer."

"Do we need that? It's just a silly contest."

"It may not just be a silly contest." Anna nodded her head absently, thinking about something. "If Fading Doubt likes something, the whole media likes it, too."

"But are we sure we're going to win to already have a music producer?" Nonoko asked. "We haven't even auditioned yet."

"We're going to find out if we start working things out." Hotaru said. "Want to rehearse tomorrow?"

"We don't have a song yet." Misaki said. "What song should we use for the audition?"

"Hmm," Mikan tapped her fingers on her chin. "Anything. It's just for the audition."

Hotaru shook her head. "According to my sources, the auditions will be videotaped. If we passed, they would send the video to the guys. An original would be an advantage."

"How'd you know that?"

"My sources." She simply answered. Mikan knew Hotaru wasn't going to answer any more than that.

"Umm," Mikan hesitated. "I have songs. Mine. But they're composed with piano. Some are in guitar."

"You didn't tell me you do that kind of stuff." Sumire looked at her accusingly.

"It's supposed to be my little secret," Mikan smiled. "But oh, well. You know what they say about desperate times… You call for desperate measures."

Hotaru surprised all of them by standing up. "All right. Rehearsals tomorrow a Sumire's. Drums are in her place. Bring what you have to bring. Now, let's eat. I'm hungry."

"Ooh!" Mikan followed Hotaru. "Let's eat at _The Glove's _again. They have a branch at the corner."

The girls walked silently to the place. When they got there, it was almost empty. People were already packing up and leaving. They went to the counter and asked if the restaurant was closing already.

"Oh, no. This branch open 24 hours." The counter lady said. "So what are your orders?"

Sumire looked at the others. "Whatever you guys are having."

"Should I order for all of us, then?" Anna asked. The girls nodded. "All right."

"I'll have a separate order." Hotaru said.

"Okay. Um, we'll have five orders of your regular Yummy Glove Burger, spicy fries, and regular sodas."

The lady punched in the keyboard. "What flavor of soda do you want? We have strawberry, grape, green apple, and beer."

"Let's try beer!" Sumire chirped. "I haven't tasted beer-flavored anything before."

"Beer it is, then."

The lady disappeared for a few minutes then came back with three people holding three trays. They gave them to Anna and the others. Anna paid the lady.

"Thank you." Anna said, as the others proceeded to the seats. "Can we come back later for ice cream?"

"Of course. Enjoy your meals, miss."

As Anna went to the others, she heard the lady taking Hotaru's orders. "…I'm having the Glove burger deluxe—wait. What's that crab? Like, _Krabby Patty_? Cool, I'll have double of that and the beer soda thing. And regular fries. Thank you."

Hotaru caught up with Anna and they went to join the others together. They were already beginning to eat. Mikan was about to bite from her burger, when she remembered something.

"Why did I forget again?" She pulled her hair in frustration.

"Oh, boy," Hotaru murmured. "Here we go again."

"What is it?" Misaki asked.

Sumire gasped. "Oh, _that_."

"Get on with it, would you? I hate suspense."

"Well, it's just that —"

"Natsume's my new neighbor!" Mikan finished Sumire's sentence. Anna and Nonoko blinked in response.

"No kidding?" Nonoko asked.

"Really truly! Hotaru and I saw him last night. Right, Hotaru?" Hotaru ignored her and just continued eating her burger. "That means yes."

Anna and Nonoko squealed at the same time.

Misaki was unfazed. "Hah. Like I haven't heard that before."

Mikan pouted. "Hotaru even snapped a picture of him on his balcony which, by the way, is right beside mine."

"Holy smokes. That is too unreal." Misaki stared wide-eyed at Mikan. She turned to Hotaru. "Do you have the picture with you?"

Hotaru simply nodded. She pulled her camera out and scanned the pictures. She handed it to Misaki.

On the screen was Natsume Hyuuga standing on a balcony. He was holding a soft ball and he stared at the camera blankly. He wore only a simple white shirt and black boxers. Very homey indeed.

"Fading Doubt stays in that house, too." Mikan grinned widely. "And it's all thanks to Mom."

"What's your mom gotta do with this?" Sumire asked.

"She and Shiki Masachika, their manager, are friends. She kinda mentioned to him about the vacant house beside ours."

Nonoko looked at Mikan dreamily. "You are one lucky daughter, Mikan."

"I know. Mom's the best."

The girls finished their meals. As they were about to get up for dessert, Sumire squeaked loudly. She almost choked on her beer soda. "Look! Look who's coming with Hii-sama!"

The girls turned around to see who was coming. There with Hii-sama, along with her sometimes-body guards (which were all female), was Koko, then Yuu, and Ruka. They'd changed out of their sweaty concert clothes into casual wear. They walked inside the restaurant like normal teenagers hanging out. Of course, minus Hii-sama and her guards. The girls were speechless, but not [almost] drooling, as they watched them.

Hii-sama halted as she caught sight of the girls. A slow grin spread on her face. "Ah. My favorite flowers are here."

* * *

While Ruka and Yuu ordered their food, Koko chilled with the girls, trying to flirt. Everyone laughed with him as though they'd been friends for eternity. Sumire was unusually silent. Mikan didn't miss it.

"Permy," She said. "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

Sumire stared at Mikan as though she said something anybody didn't want to hear. Mikan was about to speak again, when Koko beat her to it.

"Permy?" He asked. Then he smiled, remembering something. "You know, I had a childhood friend once that I called Permy. I didn't know her name, so I called her that because of her cute curls."

This time, Permy blushed real hard, but she kept quiet still. Koko was looking at her now. "You—Hey! You're _her,_ aren't you?"

"Huh? Who? Who's her?" Ruka asked as he sat down beside Koko. He handed the other guy half of what was in his tray.

Koko opened the wrapper of his burger, his eyes still on Sumire. "Do you remember me? I'm the kid who stuck gum on your hair at the park! Ooh, it is you. I'd never forget the hair."

Ruka flashed a charming smile. _Oh, dear._ "Well, that's great that you two know each other."

Sumire finally eased in her seat. "Wow, you actually remember me."

"What? Of course!" Koko laughed. "You're actually one of the very few friends I had in my whole life…"

Very soon later, he and Sumire were locked in their very own world, catching up with one another.

…

"It's really good when you see someone you haven't in a long time, right?" Ruka asked no one in particular then flashed that smile again…

_Click. Click-click._

He looked for the clicking sound and found that it was Hotaru's camera doing it. He noticed that the camera's clicking wouldn't stop soon and he felt the need to run from it. Now, even he and Hotaru had created a very own world of theirs.

* * *

**T.T I apologize for abandoning this fic for a loooooong while. I just had my focus on other things that I'd abandoned it. :(**

**Oh, well. It's here now. :) I just hope this wasn't a dissapointment after a looooong time of, er, _un_updating. XD**

**I'll be continuing this from now on. Maybe in a week or two there'll be an update. Just maybe. I'm busy in school, y'see. :D**

**Review?**

**~`Xythri**


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